Ultimate Gaming Showdown (Player vs. Player #1)

England’s (Spellhacker) action-packed series opener follows four intrepid gamers teaming up in a virtual tournament for a mysterious grand prize. As some of the top-ranked players of Affinity, an online pvp game, Josh, Larkin, Hannah, and Wheatley are invited to compete in an e-sports tournament sponsored by the platform’s creators, Hurricane Games. Though they barely know one another and are considered the underdogs among their competitors, some of whom are pros, the group, who have dubbed themselves the Weird Ones, is confident in their individual abilities. But real-life interpersonal challenges beyond Affinity threaten their chances at winning. Josh’s father disapproves of his constant internet usage; Larkin, who lives in a video game–free household, plays in secret; Hannah’s financial precarity makes playing difficult; and Wheatley is hiding a troubling secret. Danger’s graphic maps and intricate avatar design expertly complement the high-stakes thrills, written with an infectious passion for gaming. Conversational prose, imaginative worldbuilding, and the cast’s respective struggles balancing their e-sports dreams with reality add nuance to this fast-paced escapist adventure. Josh is a “skinny Chinese kid with glasses”; most other characters read as white. Ages 8–12. Agent: Eric Smith, P.S. Literary. (June)